Lifting hand truck



March 22, 1932.: B. B. RUSSELL ET AL -IJI'FTING HAND TRUCK Filed Jan. 9, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W 2 z d 1 O z a4 V. v V 7 5 Wmm I .w 1| I 7 9m W (1, IIH/ 9 n 4 ,2 1 2 2 9 2 W llf m h W 0 b N I Z [5 @4 F n rm 1 m March 22, 1932. B, RUSSELL ET AL 1,850,969

LIFTING HAND TRUCK Fi led Jan. 9. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 z @354 2 a z fkvvziy said engaging elements' Patented Mar. 22, 1932 [UNITED sT- rEs PAT NT: FF CE Boron]: B. RUSSELL ANIDISAM'DEL ronwAnonnn, OF CHICAGO, mmoisis moss j TO DRYING sYsTEMs, Ind, or oriroaeaannrnors, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS .LIFTIITG THTAQNIYD TRUCK Application filed January 9, 1931; "Seria1No. 507,642. i

This invention relates to hand trucks partioularly designed for lifting and moving such articles as domestic refrigerators. The

truckis designed tobe run beneath, the'ar- 5 ticle to be moved, and is provided with lifting elements which may be swung to posi-' tion to engage the frame of said article and then be adjusted upwardly to-raise the article vertically while it is firmly'resting upon Objects of the invention are to provide a light, compact and strong truck with improved lifting'and supporting mechanism thereon; to provide lifting means to engage the frame of the article on the inside'ofthe surroundingcabinet apron, and which will not injure the apron or finish of the cabinet, or injure the floor. I

The objects of the invention are accomplished by a construction as shown in the drawings, wherein: V

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved truck, and shows the lifting elements thereof in lifting position.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the truck, and shows the refrigerator partly broken away and in section thereon.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the truck, with the lifting elements as they appear before being swung to lifting position, and with the refrigerator shown by broken lines at rest upon the floor,

I Fig. 4 is a sectional view of thetruck taken on the line l--4: of Fig. v3.

The truck consists generally of .a rectangular frame structure supported upon castors, having inside of and near each, of its ends,

cross shafts which may be moved vertically f .in unison. These cross shafts carry yokes for engaging and lifting refrigerators, and which, by oscillation of the shafts may be moved from horizontal position on the truck frame to more or less vertical positionfor -engaging the frame structure of the'refrigerator.

The oscillation of the yokes and their supporting shafts is, accomplished. bymeans of a' longitudinally extending shaft, having hand wheel at one endfand supportedfon bearings suspendedfrom the cross shafts and extending below the shafts These levers extending beneaththe cross shafts, and fulcrums on-the truck frames, and their opposite ends extend beneath cams or eccentrics. Pro

vision is made for rotating the eccentrics and thereby eifect'the lifting operation.

Having reference to" the;drawings, these tru'ck'frame 1 is of rectangular'form' and is supported by a plurality of castors-2 at its 1 corners Atthe inner sides of the truck frame, near its ends, are bearings 3 for guiding vertically transverse shafts A; These e5 shafts are also angularly adjustable within the bearings '3 andfca'rry yoke-shaped lift- Q ingelements comprising the arms 5 and trans verse cross bars 6. The cross barsj6 are'in the form of angle irons inorder to fitangle' 'iti frame members7, as shown in Fig.2, on the inside of the refrigerator cabinet 8; beneath' the floor Q'thereof; f 4

For'the purpose of raising thelifting yokes j I from the horizontal to a. vertical .'-position,' the shafts-'carry'wormwheels 10 and 11 with oppositely inclined teeth. Meshing with the worm wheels IO a'nd 1-1 are worms 12 and 13 fast to a longitudinally extending shaft 14 rotatable within bearings 15 suspended-fromshafts t.' V The; shaft 14 extends,forwardlybeneath the truck frame and at its outer end carries ahandvwheel 16, by which it is rotated to swing the lifting yokes upwardly or down-' device in connection with refrigerators of different s1zes,'and having the inner-frame j members 7 spaced more orlessapart. When the yokesareswung to-position beneath the framestructure of the refrigerator cabinet, the latter may be liftedland lowered thereby "by effecting/verticalmotion of the shafts 4.

inthe bearing'sfii. Thisis accomplished-by,

means of levers 17. havingrecessed ends-18f the frame 1. An operating handle 28 is secured to the outer end of shaft 25.

In the use of the truck, it is pushed beneath the refrigerator cabinet, as indicated in Figure 3, and then Wheel 16 is rotated to raise the lifting members 6 from the full line position to that indicated by dotted lines. The

worm gearing on shafts 4 serve to lock the lifting elements in their set position, although such position may not be truly vertical. Then by. swinging handle 28 about 180 from the right toward the left, Fig. 1, to the position indicated in this figure, the cams 21 depress the levers 17, thus causing the levers to rock around their fulcrums 19 and raise the shafts 4 and the lifting members thereon. The refrigerator is lifted from the position indicated by the broken lines, Fig. 3, to the position indicated in Fig. 2.

It will be noted that the truck does not protrude much from the cabinet when the latter is supported thereon. This makes it possible to push the cabinet sidewise through the average door openin v Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it will be understood that details of the construction shown may be altered or-omitted without departing from the spirit, of this invention as defined by the following claims.

We claim: V 1. A hand truck comprising a frame structure, lifting elements including cross bars, vertical guides in said frame for the cross bars, a shaft journaled in said frame and carrying cams, means for rotating said shaft, and levers pivotally mounted on said frame and bearing at one end on said cams and extending below said cross bars.

2. A hand truck comprising a frame structure, lifting elements including cross bars, means for raising and-lowering said lifting elements, vertical guides in said frame for the cross bars,'engaging members projecting from and rigid with said Crossbars, means for'ro'cking said cross bars to bring the engaging members into andout of operative position comprising Worm gearing including a shaft and bearings for said shaft suspended from said cross bars.

3. A- hand truck comprising a frame structure, l-iftingxelements in the formof cross bars and yokes rigid with said cross bars,

means for angularly adjusting said lifting.

elements, and means for raising and lowering said lifting elements.

at. A hand truck comprising a frame structure, vertical guides in said frame, lifting elements vertically movable along said guides, levers pivotally connected with said frame, a shaft journaled in said frame structure, cams on said shaft for operating said levers, means for adjusting said cams, said levers enacting with said lifting elements, said lifting elements being angularly adjust-- able into and out of operative position, and worm gearing for angularly adjusting said lifting elements.

5. A hand truck comprising a frame structure, vertical guides in said frame, lifting element-s vertically movable along said guides, levers pivotally connected with said frame, a shaft journaled in said frame strucs ture, cams on said shaft for operating said levers, means for adjusting said cams, said evers coacting with said lifting elements, said lifting elements being angular-1y adjustable into and out of operative position, Worm gearing for angularly adjusting said lifting elements, and a shaft for operating said worm gearing, said shaft being supported in bearings carried by said lifting elements.

Signed at Chicago this 6th day ofJan- BUFOR-D B. RUSSELL. SAMUEL PORWANCHER.

nary, 1931. 

